SHOPPERS flocked to Bolton's £13 million new supermarket on Friday -- with queues forming from 7.30am.

Pupils from Egerton County Primary School released balloons into the air as manager Michael Broadhurst cut the ribbon to open the new Sainsbury's Savacentre store at 9am.

The futuristic 50,000 sq ft store off Crook Street has created more than 200 jobs for Bolton.

The old store in Flash Street is now closed and mystery surrounds its future use. Four bidders are thought to by vying to buy the land.

However, shoppers said out with the old and in with the new as they christened the store yesterday.

Kevin Banks, aged 45, and his wife Tracey, aged 38, of The Sheddings, Bolton, brought their daughters Molly, aged three, and Kate, aged four, to see the new store.

The couple have four other children. Mr Banks said: "We shop at Sainsbury's at least four times a week as we have got a lot of mouths to feed. A bigger store is great news for us."

Bus driver David Farrimond, of Westhoughton, was one of the first people to pass through the store's checkouts.

Mr Farrimond, aged 30, said: "I was impressed. I am going to have spaghetti bolognese tonight so I thought I would come in to buy it early. My depot is just across the road, so the cafe will come in handy."

Shopper Lilian Longmire, aged 67, is the landlady of the Sweet Green Tavern in Crook Street -- across the road from the building. She said: "A lot of the contractors working on the site used to pop in for a pint after work as we are the store's nearest neighbour."

About 10 members of Bolton's Stop the War Coalition held banners to protest against the war in Iraq as the store opened its doors.